Erlin is a loved member of the Winston-Salem and Wallburg community, and right now he needs support during an incredibly difficult time. After a traffic stop, Erlin was detained by ICE and transferred to an immigration detention center in Georgia, far from his home and family in North Carolina. He has no criminal record and has a pending asylum application that he filed after arriving in the United States as a minor. Erlin is now facing separate bond and removal proceedings, both of which require legal representation. His next court hearing is Friday, August 28, and his asylum attorney requires $2,000 to represent him that day. Another attorney is also preparing his request for release on bond, and continued legal help will be needed as his immigration case moves forward.

These sudden legal and immigration-related expenses are more than Erlin’s family can manage alone. Donations will go toward verified attorney fees, necessary filings and documents, continued representation, and bond-related expenses, and they will be kept in a dedicated account used only for those needs. Most importantly, this support will help ensure that Erlin does not have to face a complicated legal process alone. With proper representation, he can protect his rights, respond to the government’s allegations, preserve his asylum claim, meet important deadlines, prepare supporting evidence, and pursue release on bond.

If bond is granted and paid, Erlin could return home while his case continues. That would give him the chance to reunite with loved ones, return to work, help support his family, and prepare his case from home instead of from a detention center hundreds of miles away. His detention has created a heavy emotional and financial burden for the people who care about him. Please consider donating if you can, and share this fundraiser with others in the Winston-Salem community who may want to help. Any support, no matter the size, will make a real difference for Erlin and his family.